Ochna polyneura Gilg

Species

Angiosperms > Malpighiales > Ochnaceae > Ochna

Characteristics

Small tree, shrub or subshrub 0.3–6(–8) m tall with pale grey rough deeply fissured bark; branches reddish to purple-brown, mostly smooth, becoming whitish, with epidermis exfoliating, usually lenticellate, sometimes minutely papillose-puberulous.. Leaves often bronze-tinged and sometimes drying quite dark bluish green, thin, obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic, (2.5–)3.5–10(–12) cm long, 1–3(–5) cm wide, narrowly rounded at the apex or subacute, cuneate to narrowly rounded at the base, margin densely usually rather shallowly serrulate; lateral veins ± 30, ± at right angles to midrib then more strongly curved upwards; tertiary venation closely reticulate, prominent above, much less so beneath; petiole 1–2 mm long.. Buds large, ovoid, 15 mm long, 8 mm wide, acute, imbricate, the bracts strongly striate.. Flowers (5–)6–10(–14) in elongated raceme-like inflorescences with rhachis 0.3–2.5(–3.5) cm long, rarely subumbellate; pedicels slender (1–)1.8–2.8(–3.5) cm long, papillose-puberulous or glabrous, jointed 1–7 mm from the base.. Sepals pale green, oblong-elliptic, 5–7 mm long 1.5–2 mm wide, rounded at the apex becoming deep red in fruit and enlarging to 10–12(–15) mm long, 7 mm wide.. Petals pale yellow, obovate to round, 9–13 mm long, 5–8 mm wide.. Anthers 1–2 mm long, about 1/2 the length of the filaments, dehiscing by longitudinal slits.. Carpels 5(–6–7); styles completely united; stigma subglobose.. Drupelets black, ovoid or somewhat curved, (7–)8.5–10 mm long, 5–6 mm wide.. Fig. 3 (p. 27).
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Leaves petiolate, bronze-tinged, drying bluish-green; lamina (4·3) 5·5–10 (12) × 1·6–3·4 (3·8) cm., obovate to oblanceolate, obtuse to rounded (rarely very shortly and acutely acuminate) at the apex, with margin densely shallowly serrulate, rounded or truncate at the base, herbaceous, with lateral nerves numerous and widely spreading (usually at almost 90° to the midrib) and densely reticulate tertiary venation prominent above (with main laterals more prominent than subsidiaries) and almost smooth below; petiole 1–2 mm. long, rather stout.
Shrublet or small tree, 0·3–6 (8) m. high, with bark pale grey, rough and vertically fissured; branches smooth (rarely striate), reddish-to purplish-brown and sometimes papillose-puberulous at first, glabrous and whitish, with bark sometimes exfoliating in thin strips, usually with numerous rather faint lenticels.
Flowers (5) 6–10 (14) in a ± elongated simple raceme with rhachis 3–25 mm. long, rarely subumbellate, primrose-scented; pedicels (1) 1·8–2·8 (3·3) cm. long in fruit, papillose-puberulous or glabrous, articulated usually in the lower 1/3 or 1/4 (at least 1 mm. above the base).
Sepals 5–6 mm. long in flower, oblong-elliptic, rounded, bronze-tinged, becoming pinkish-red to deep red, 10–12 (15) mm. and spreading in fruit.
Stamens with anthers 1–2 mm. long, about 1/2 as long as the filaments, straight, dehiscing by longitudinal slits.
Drupelets (7) 8·5–10 × 5–6 mm., curved-cylindric to ovoid, inserted near the base; embryo straight.
Petals pale yellow, 9–13 × 5–8 mm., with obovate to subcircular limb c. twice as long as the claw.
Carpels 5 (6–7) with styles completely united; stigma subglobose.
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Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 6.0
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Hardiness (USDA) 9-12

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Cultivation

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Distribution

Ochna polyneura world distribution map, present in Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, United Republic of, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:606737-1
WFO ID wfo-0001087207
COL ID 48D8C
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ochna hylophila Polyochnella hylophila Ochna polyneura Polyochnella polyneura